I cannot think of Nov. 22 without remembering JFK’s assassination. Nov. 22 means nothing to my husband because he was born in 1960 and has no memory of JFK’s death in 1963 (I imagine President-elect Obama, born in 1961, also has no memory of this day).
But history is full of days like this. Where were you when Pearl Harbor was attacked (before my time)? Where were you when the Challenger space shuttle blew up? Where were you on 9-11-2001?
And we all have events that might not seem as momentous in the panorama of history but are personally meaningful or shattering. Where were you when John Lennon was murdered? What were you doing when Princess Diana was killed?
Our stories of these events bind us together as a people as we recall the common experience of national and human tragedy. Interestingly, it’s harder to recall stories of events that reflect national joy. Perhaps great Olympic victories that stoke national pride, such as Michael Phelps’ record-breaking 8 gold medals this year? For me, Nov. 4, 2008, provides joyful stories that I will recall for the rest of my life.
What stories do you recall that are prompted by the historical experiences you lived through?